MAARIFA CURRICULUM

Permission is granted to users of this material to translate it into other languages or to photocopy it, provided that:

They have registered their use with mymaarifa.org

That mymaarifa.org is credited

That the material is not sold

Localization of Material

It is important for the users of this curriculum and ultimately for the recipients of these teachings to interpret and fit them to their own cultural, organizational, economic and educational context. If you need help editing your materials for your cultural context please contact mymaarifa.org.

Maarifa Materials:

The Maarifa curriculum is free to use, however it is most effective in a printed format. It consists of a Facilitator’s Manual and a Youth Booklet.

The Facilitator’s Manual Includes:

Information on using and reprinting the manual, A Biblical view of holistic care, The Framework of Maarifa, Who should facilitate the curriculum and Tips for facilitation.

There are 10 chapters, each with an easy to use guide including openers, a devotional, a prayer, one act of the Maarifa play, questions for the small group discussion, suggestions on how youth could express themselves through art and lastly a sheet that should be taken to parents/guardians that explains the main topic of the day.

An appendix at the end of the Maarifa manual constitutes additional resources which instructors can use for both their own understanding and as teaching aids.

You may download the Facilitator's Manual from the File Share page or by clicking on the link below. To print the English - International version of the Facilitator's Manual, please download the Facilitator Manual and the Facilitator Manual Cover Page file.

Ten chapters, one per sessions, which cover the same information as the Facilitators manual but also leaves room for the participants to write in their answers to the questions. Each youth should have their own manual and be able to keep it upon completing the Maarifa curriculum.

LESSON STRUCTURE

There are six parts to the Maarifa lesson, each part is represented by a different icon:

The Opener

A game or activity while ALHIV arrive

A devotion

The content of which is relevant to the lesson

Prayer

A short prayer that follows the devotion

The Play

The Maarifa play follows two cousins who are both HIV positive through learning how to wear the armor of positive living.

The Discussion

ALHIV are split up in age appropriate groups to discuss the topic of the lesson

Express Yourself

ALHIV are able to use art to express their feelings about the topic of the lesson

The Armor of Positive Living

The Maarifa curriculum is based on a framework called The Armor of Positive Living. It is designed to be delivered in 10 session. Below is the Acrostic of the Armor of Positive Living it depicts each piece of armor and what it represents. The word sacrifice does not have a negative connotation here. Because we are giving up things that can potentially hurt us. Living without them will enhance our quality of life.

One of the most important obstacles to addressing HIV is stigma. It motivates people to avoid testing. If they test positive, stigma makes it harder to seek and stay on treatment. Stigma must be overcome!

Duane Crumb

Maarifa Chapters

The following is a list of each chapter in the Maarifa curriculum and the objectives to be met.

Session 1: Introduction to the Armor of Positive Living

· Objective: Explain what Maarifa is, introduce the Maarifa Play and read the first act.

Session 2: Breastplate = Self-Acceptance

· Objective: To understand one’s value to God. To understand the benefits of accepting one’s status.

Session 3: Shield = Adherence

· Objective: To understand the importance of adhering to treatment, hygiene, nutrition and exercise

Session 4: Helmet = Choices

· Objective: To understand how to make good choices, choose friends and say no.

Session 5: Foundation = Relationship with God

· Objective: To understand who God is, the importance of a relationship with Him and how to build it.

Session 6: Sword = Information

· Objective: To understand where to get information about HIV and how to inform others.

Session 7A: Heart = Faithfulness/Wait Until Marriage

· Objective: (For youth ages 10-14.) To understand our bodies and that our bodies are God’s temple. To understand what it means to be faithful and why that is important.

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Session 7B: Heart = Faithfulness/Wait Until Marriage

· Objective: (For youth ages 15-19.) To understand our bodies and that our bodies are God’s temple. To understand what it means to be faithful and why that is important. To understand the responsibility of having sex when infected with HIV. To understand the dynamics of a sexual relationship.

Session 8: Guard = Identify Friends and Family

· Objective: To understand why disclosure is important and to whom we should disclose our status. To understand how a support system can improve our lives. Understanding stigma and discrimination and how to overcome them.

· Objective: To learn about the importance of using condoms when you are living with HIV. To understand that abstinence is the most viable solution to not spreading HIV. To understand that you are responsible for living positively and not infecting others. To understand the impact of making excuses for your bad choices.

Session 10: Belt = Empowered

· Objective: To understand the importance of sharing the knowledge you’ve gained through Maarifa. To understand the important example that living positively can be to your friends, family and community. To understand that God has a plan for you and has already given you the skills needed to carry it out. To understand God is always with you and will never leave you if and when you choose to speak out about HIV.

The Play

The Maarifa Play is a narrative that runs the length of the course and helps participants to connect with the material presented on a given day through the characters lives. Instead of having to talk about their own situations they can talk about the things that the two characters, Promise and Truth, are going through and then, hopefully, relate these things to their own lives.

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Each one of the ten sessions includes one act of the play. The curriculum uses the characters lives for discussing the lesson topics, with adolescent appropriate language and illustrations.

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After the participants have read through the play, they are given a few questions to facilitate discussion. For example, after the play in session 1, the participants are given the following questions:

1. Do you have any of the same concerns about HIV that Promise and Truth had? Do you have any concerns that the Promise and Truth didn’t discuss?

2. Truth went to see a counselor and received some advice. What do you think about the information he received? If you have ever spoken to a counselor, what has been your experience?

3. Was it safe for Truth to tell Promise about his HIV status? Why or Why not?

4. How can counseling help Promise deal with the death of her parents?

5. Why does Promise think she will die soon?

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The images below are examples of the cultural context that was included in the original Kenyan material. We would encourage you to include your own cultural context and design elements to the program design

The Take Away

The Take Away sheets are in the back of the Facilitator’s Manual and should be copied and handed out at the end of every class. These sheets give talking points about what was covered in that days class so that the participants can share them with their parents and or guardians. This is not only a way for the Maarifa facilitator to communicate with the parent or guardian but hopefully also an avenue for discussion between the adolescent and his or her parent or guardian.

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Click on the image below to see the example of the Chapter 2 Take Away from the the original Kenyan material.